Got a flier from them this morning, for my area. With a pic of a 'tradesman' (by the T shirt) on the front carrying a satellite dish.
And not one single aerial or satellite installer listed. ;-)
- posted
5 years ago
OT: Checkatrade
Loading thread data ...
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
Having been stiffed by a "tradesman" from Checkatrade (who insisted "RatedPeople" wasn't worth it), I've given up on all and any forms of tradesperson recommendation apart from word-of-mouth-having-actually-used- the-bastard tips.
The clue is knowing who is paying the piper - and it sure as hell ain't the customer.
Just as a nod as to who and what is out there, SWMBO has had different occupational therapists, physiotherapists and wheelchair specialists visit from the local authority, and they all noted that the front decking (essential to give level access) was too good a job to have been done by a council team.
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
Oh - indeed. I wasn't thinking of using any of them.
Rather the same as many so called trade organisations. More interested in their membership fees than providing a service to the public. Even where that is what they claim to do.
Don't most councils sub contract such work these days - and likely go for the least cost?
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
many ? Make that "all". As long as the organisation is taking money from the practitioners rather than the public, they will axiomatically have to defend their members. Doctors, solicitors, surveyors etc included.
I suspect it's why modern life appears to have become so litigious. People *try* to resolve disputes via the trade bodies. And when that fails, it's the suehammer.
I think it's been that way for a while now. But when I can do a better job than these ****s (I laid the decking) then it's clearly not a good system. The very last workman we had - as a result of an OT referral - had to fix an outside grab handle to the outside wall by the patio door. He managed to use 3 different types of screw in the two fixing holes to the wall.
Currently SWMBO could really do with a proper wet room. The OT has signed off on it, but there's no way I'm going to let anyone but me do it now (we own the house). So they'll probably "save" that money.
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
It would make far more sense if the council gave you a grant towards doing the work to allow those who can to DIY. Would save both money in the end.
I remember when there were house renovation/modernisation grants available here - got one myself in the 80s. And you could DIY it or part of it or get a 'man' in. Work was inspected before dishing out the money - and you had to do everything on the list.
Far too sensible for modern politics, though.
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
Ah, the "s" word. Doomed from the start :(
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
That was clever of them then. No lady plumbers either? I ask as back when I last could see that mob had a very attractive smiling female plumber on the front, but of course that sex angle would not be allowed now would it? Brian
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
Mad for the government to be paying for that.
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
I agree with what has been posted. I had problem some years ago with an upholsterer who did a poor job. went through their trade organisation, a waste of time, just a whitewash. Also I have gone to Checkatrade for work, not one reply, found local tradesmen were pleased to quote, so selected one of them, totally satisfactory.
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
And, in my experience, you should NOT trust such listing companies. I was out on a job(roofing build on an extension)when I was called from down the street by a guy in a car who insisted he did not have the time to inspect the job and, could see it was fine from where we were?
Enough time to take my money and pass me a 'certificate' and the stickers for my van. I only wish, in that moment of his disinterest, I had realised what I did 5 minutes later.
...Ray
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
I got wise the Checkatrade bias a few years ago when I noticed you seldom if ever got negative reviews and also, as you say, who's paying Checkatrade (hint: not the customer).
Tripadvisor seems happy to carry quite scathing reviews, as do Amazon product reviews. I trust those (realising some may be shills, but most aren't).
I wouldn't trust a Checkatrade recommendation at all.
- Vote on answer
- posted
5 years ago
The problem is they have the same - rather curious - approach to any problems with the work, which is that the original bodgemeister is supposed to be given a fair crack at "putting it right". Which doesn't really square. Having f***ed it up once, why are you expected to trust them again ?
I've read anecdotal evidence of TA reviews being "curated" - particularly by hotels and restaurants. However that said, I was able to create an account and post a zero star review of a hotel with no issue. It joined the 20 or 30 other equally scathing reviews. Although it was interesting to note the dates, and realise that these people must have booked
*despite* reading the reviews ???????Amazon are probably my Gold standard. Especially when it's a verified purchase. The only issue can be muppets who think that they are reviewing something other than the product .. ("I am only giving this product one star because it arrived late")
The *only* recommendation I would trust is someone who has had work done by the person in question. Recently. Unless they can fulfil a very exacting checklist ...